Apparatus and method for controlling autonomous driving

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling autonomous driving may include: a travel detection unit configured to detect travel environment and travel conditions of a host vehicle that is in an autonomous driving state; an autonomous-driving control unit configured to control the autonomous driving of the host vehicle based on the travel environment and the travel conditions detected by the travel detection unit, and predict physical abnormalities occurring in a passenger of the host vehicle due to the autonomous driving of the host vehicle; and an interface control unit configured to generate vehicle operation contents of the host vehicle for alleviating the predicted physical abnormalities, when the passenger's physical abnormalities are predicted by the autonomous-driving control unit, and then to provide the generated vehicle operation contents for the passenger.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for controlling autonomous driving, comprising:
 a travel detection unit configured to detect travel environment and travel conditions of a host vehicle that is in an autonomous driving state; 
 an autonomous-driving control unit configured to control the autonomous driving of the host vehicle based on the travel environment and the travel conditions detected by the travel detection unit, and predict physical abnormalities occurring in a passenger of the host vehicle based on a change in acceleration due to the autonomous driving of the host vehicle; and 
 an interface control unit configured to generate vehicle operation contents of the host vehicle, the generated vehicle operation contents are provided for alleviating the physical abnormalities predicted to occur in a passenger of the host vehicle based on the change in acceleration due to the autonomous driving of the host vehicle, and then provide the generated vehicle operation contents for the passenger. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous-driving control unit predicts the physical abnormalities occurring in the passenger based on a change in acceleration of the host vehicle, caused by one or more of a steering operation, a braking operation and an accelerating operation in an autonomous driving process of the host vehicle. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the interface control unit receives information about one or more of the steering operation, the braking operation and the accelerating operation from the autonomous-driving control unit, and then generates the vehicle operation contents reflecting one or more of an operation target, an operation amount, and operation timing based on the received information. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a passenger detection unit configured to detect a state of the passenger, 
 wherein the interface control unit displays the vehicle operation contents at a location corresponding to a passenger's gazing direction determined based on the passenger's state detected by the passenger detection unit. 
 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the interface control unit displays both the vehicle operation contents and an autonomous travel trajectory of the host vehicle at the location corresponding to the passenger's gazing direction. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein, when it is determined that the passenger's state detected by the passenger detection unit is a state where it is impossible to visually recognize the vehicle operation contents, the interface control unit gives the passenger option information that causes the passenger to select a method of providing the vehicle operation contents. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the interface control unit acoustically provides the vehicle operation contents for the passenger or provides no vehicle operation contents for the passenger, according to the passenger's selection. 
     
     
       8. A method for controlling autonomous driving, comprising:
 detecting, by a travel detection unit, travel environment and travel conditions of a host vehicle that is in an autonomous driving state; 
 controlling autonomous driving of the host vehicle based on the travel environment and the travel conditions detected by the travel detection unit, and predicting physical abnormalities occurring in a passenger of the host vehicle based on a change in acceleration due to the autonomous driving of the host vehicle, by an autonomous-driving control unit; 
 generating, by an interface control unit, vehicle operation contents of the host vehicle, the generated vehicle operation contents are provided for alleviating the physical abnormalities predicted to occur in a passenger of the host vehicle based on the change in acceleration due to the autonomous driving of the host vehicle; and 
 providing, by the interface control unit, the generated vehicle operation contents for the passenger. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein at the predicting, the autonomous-driving control unit predicts the physical abnormalities occurring in the passenger based on a change in acceleration of the host vehicle, caused by one or more of a steering operation, a braking operation and an accelerating operation in an autonomous driving process of the host vehicle. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein at the generating, the interface control unit receives information about one or more of the steering operation, the braking operation and the accelerating operation from the autonomous-driving control unit, and then generates the vehicle operation contents reflecting one or more of an operation target, an operation amount, and operation timing based on the received information. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 detecting, by a passenger detection unit, a state of the passenger, 
 wherein, in the providing, the interface control unit displays the vehicle operation contents at a location corresponding to a passenger's gazing direction determined based on the passenger's state detected by the passenger detection unit. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein, in the providing, the interface control unit displays both the vehicle operation contents and an autonomous travel trajectory of the host vehicle at the location corresponding to the passenger's gazing direction. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein, in the providing, when it is determined that the passenger's state detected by the passenger detection unit is a state where it is impossible to visually recognize the vehicle operation contents, the interface control unit gives the passenger option information that causes the passenger to select a method of providing the vehicle operation contents. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein, in the providing, the interface control unit acoustically provides the vehicle operation contents for the passenger or provides no vehicle operation contents for the passenger, according to the passenger's selection. 
     
     
       15. An apparatus for controlling autonomous driving, comprising:
 a travel detection unit configured to detect travel environment and travel conditions of a host vehicle that is in an autonomous driving state; 
 an autonomous-driving control unit configured to control the autonomous driving of the host vehicle based on the travel environment and the travel conditions detected by the travel detection unit, and predict physical abnormalities occurring in a passenger of the host vehicle based on a change in acceleration due to the autonomous driving of the host vehicle; and 
 an interface control unit configured to generate vehicle operation contents of the host vehicle, the generated vehicle operation contents are provided for alleviating the predicted physical abnormalities predicted to occur in a passenger of the host vehicle based on the change in acceleration due to the autonomous driving of the host vehicle, and then provide the generated vehicle operation contents for the passenger, 
 wherein the interface control unit acoustically provides the vehicle operation contents for the passenger or provides no vehicle operation contents for the passenger, according to a passenger's selection.